AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And that was more than the truth. It’d been his furthest out-there dream, and now it was standing before him, chin up, eyes shooting fire, determination oozing from every pore, tossing out invisible challenges like swear words at a cussing match.
“But now?” she prompted.
He smiled at her hearing that “but” when he hadn’t really meant her to. He took the gun from her hand, noticing what a little bit of a thing she was now that he was close. Her head barely reached his collarbone.
“Now, it appears the good Lord’s working on one of those miracles I’ve heard tell of, but, before we shake on this deal, there are a few things you’ve got to understand.” He uncocked the gun and emptied the chamber, using his side vision to keep tabs on her expression. “First, trouble has a way of following me.”
The corners of her lips lifted in a hint of a smile. “It doesn’t exactly go out of its way to miss me.”
He looked at her shiner and the situation she was in. “You got a point there.” He handed the gun and bullets back to its owner.
Brent obviously felt he’d been quiet long enough. He made to get up. “As touching as I find this moment, wife, you can’t give away what’s not yours.”
Brent got to his knees. This close, it was impossible for Asa to miss Elizabeth’s slight start.
With his foot, Asa shoved the man back down. “Shut up.”
He slid his gloved finger under Elizabeth’s chin and turned her gaze to his. “Second, what’s mine, stays mine.”
“I won’t take the Rocking C from you as long as you do your best by it.”
He smiled. She was a determined little thing. “Fair enough.”
“Third,” he gently traced the bruise around her right eye, “I take care of my own.”
She had nothing to say to that.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked quietly, wishing he weren’t wearing gloves so he could feel the texture of her skin, memorize it the way he’d already memorized her scent.
“No.” Her gaze didn’t leave his. Her pupils were large, nearly swallowing the green. Her breath hitched in her throat when he slid one finger down her cheek and traced the delicate underside of her chin.
“Good. Go wait for me outside the door.”
Her gaze slid to his table where one of the saloon girls had taken a seat. “Why?”
“I thought you promised me obedience?” She opened her mouth and then closed it. Taking her shoulders, he turned her in the direction of the door. “Wait for me outside.”
With her pride draped like a shield around her, she did as ordered. She made it as far as the door before balking. “You’re taking the job?”
Asa couldn’t see her face, but he bet her expression was still blank. “I’m marrying you,” he replied. “Just as soon as I finish a little business here.”
There was a pregnant pause. “Can I wait for you at the mercantile?”
“Outside the door will be fine.”
He knew she was wondering as she walked into the sunlight if this was a test. He knew she was braced to have her pride ground into the dust. What she didn’t know was that he’d dreamed his whole life of a home of his own, a lady for a wife, and the respect that came with both. He had no intention of tempting fate by mistreating either.
He pulled off his gloves, rolled up his cuffs, turned to Brent, and smiled.
Despite the fact that he’d ordered her to stay put, Asa was surprised to find Elizabeth waiting for him outside the saloon door. The fact that she was on the receiving end of quite a few scandalized looks didn’t show in her expression. Nothing did. She was in full control of her composure. A fact that irritated Asa to no end. No woman should have such control. It was downright unnatural. He rolled down the cuffs of his sleeve.
“Thank you for waiting.”
“It’s what you told me to do.”
He cast her a considering glance. “Yeah. It was.”
He wondered if she intended to be this obedient in bed. It was an intriguing thought. Almost as intriguing as having a lady in his bed. He held out his arm. “Ready to head out?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she slipped her hand in the crook of his arm. “Where are we going?”
“Depends.” He tucked her in close, ignoring her effort to keep a distance.
“On what?”
“Where’s the nearest yahoo that can marry us nice, tight and legal?”
“I heard Judge Carlson will be over in River’s Bend tomorrow afternoon.”
“Then River’s Bend it is.” He looked down at the top of her head, noticing a few tendrils of hair escaping her bun. They had a tendency to curl. “Where’d you leave your buckboard?”
“At the livery.”
“Then the livery it is.” Since the livery was two blocks down at the edge of town, he didn’t alter their course.
